Barbecued Beef & Vegetable Kebabs

Oct

Sundays are the best family times ever. This is when I get some relatives and their kids to come over and get together to catch up on things. I am very close to family so I never want this tradition to stop. My parents did it this way and I have always grown up to the closeness and bond of our family. Cousins, uncle and aunts join in and make a mess on the lawn and the pool. It’s great to have them over.

It’s a good excuse for me to take out the grill and fire it up. I come from a family of great cooks who showcase their talents best on the grill. But while the rest of them are busy with their burgers, hotdogs and steaks, I take this chance to show them kebabs. It’s absolutely my favorite thing to grill. They’re easy and I can use whatever vegetable I want to skewer with the meat.

If you haven’t had kebabs before, I would be very surprised. They’re just about as easy to make as any barbequed meat (but you put it on a stick instead). The most important thing to me when making kebabs is the type of vegetables that go with the meat. I am particularly fond of beef so I am making it a beef and vegetable kebab. Try this recipe out whenever you use your grill at home. It’s a wonderful alternative to hotdogs and burgers but just a tad healthier too.

Ingredients

12 bamboo skewers for this recipe.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tbs fresh thyme leaves

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 lb beef rump steak, fat trimmed, cut into 2cm cubes

7 oz button mushrooms, halved

1 red capsicum, deseeded, cubed

2 zucchini, thickly sliced

2 corn cobs, husks and silk removed, cut into quarters

1 1/2 tbs olive oil, extra

3 tsp red wine vinegar

salad leaves, washed, dried

Directions

First combine the oil, chili, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Next, soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain and dry with paper towels. Then thread in the beef, mushrooms, capsicum and zucchini alternately onto the skewers. Make sure to brush the skewers with some of the oil mixture.

Cut 8 pieces of foil that’s big enough to cover a piece of corn. Place one corn in the center of the foil and brush with a little oil mixture. Wrap up the corn properly.

Then heat up the barbecue grill or chargrill on high. When ready, reduce the heat to medium. Place the corn on the grill and cook for 15 minutes constantly turning until the corn is bright yellow. That should mean the kernels are tender and firm to the bite.

When the corn has been cooking for a few minutes, place the kebabs on the barbecue and grill. Make sure to turn each side constantly while brushing it with the oil mixture to keep it moist. Do this for about 6 to 8 minutes. If you are using a chargrill, you’ll need to do two batches.

In a small jug, combine the extra oil, vinegar and some salt and pepper to taste. Then place the kebabs, corn pieces and salad leaves in serving bowls. Drizzle the salad dressing on the leaves and serve while the kebabs are hot off the grill.

19

Oct

When you come to the table with the ribs still piping hot, make sure you have an appetite. And be prepared to get your hands (and your shirt) all dirty. There’s no way to eat barbequed spare ribs without getting the sauce all over you. That’s how people have enjoyed and that’s how it shall remain.

Eating spare ribs like this makes sense. Can you imagine using a fork to wrestle the meat out of the bone? You’d look quite ridiculous doing it. When you’re at home and having ribs, feel free to use your hands. You’re about to enjoy a rustic meal so eat like the rustics do – with bare hands, informal and watching everyone do the same thing.

There’s something about barbequed meats that bring together people and good conversation. When I make this, I always invite some of our friends over. They’d bring beer or a side dish and we’d make a small party out of the afternoon. It helps that this recipe is basic-to-basics simple. A lot of the ingredients you already have on your kitchen cupboards. What I like to do is source the meat from a butcher because they know the prime cuts for barbeque. Here’s an advice: Make sure your butcher knows what the meat is for.

Having this recipe is reminiscent of tailgating parties where everyone is just hungry for a big meal. With beer to flush it all down, nothing can go wrong.

Ingredients

4 pounds pork spareribs

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup rum

1/2 cup chili sauce

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 dash ground black pepper

Description

Cut the meat into bite-sized portions ahead of time and thaw if you just took it out of the freezer.

Then preheat your oven to 350°F (about 175°C).

Wrap the meat into a foil. It’s best to double wrap it in this case and bake the meat for an hour and a half. Take it out and drain the fluids. (I keep this in the freezer to use in a soup dish later on. And then place the ribs on a roasting pan.

In a large bowl, mix on the dry ingredients first: dry mustard, brown sugar and pepper. Next, add all the wet ingredients such as ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and rum. Give that a little mix. Lastly, add the crushed garlic and chili sauce. Coat the meat generously with this sauce and marinate at room temperature for an hour. You can also refrigerate this overnight.

Prepare your grill and preheat. Set the proper temperature or about medium heat. Next set your grates in position, about 4 inches away from the heat source.

Brush grill grate with oil so the meat doesn’t stick on it. Place the ribs and cook for about 30 minutes on each side. Baste it with the marinate sauce to prevent it from drying out. Serve immediately after taking it out from the grill.

19

Oct

When my kids come home from school mellow and sad, I cheer them up with a glass of milk and chocolate chip cookies. There’s something enigmatic about them that suddenly lifts up their spirits and changes their mood. I never go a week without having baked 2 dozens of chocolate cookies, placed in a jar and ready to eat whenever the mood calls for it.

I eat one a day of it myself. Why not? Their comfort food basically; probably one of the best kinds there is. For the kids, it’s the only way for them to open up any conversation they don’t want to have with me. If you’re a mom, I recommend that you know how to make this classic recipe. All other cookies are great and all for variety purposes. But chocolates are the best because no kid ever refuses chocolate when they’re sad.

So when you see sad little faces at home, just give them 2 cookies and I guarantee you’ll be an instant hit. They won’t forget how thoughtful you are for noticing their frowns. What transpires after isn’t actually due to your comforting words of wisdom but the sensation of these chewy little things melting inside their mouths. Drown it with milk and it’s the best bedtime snack ever made.

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons hot water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

Description

Preheat your oven to 350°F or about 175°C.

Next, take your melted butter, white sugar, brown sugar and blend together until smooth and creamy.

Add in the eggs one at a time and beat the mixture. Stir in the vanilla slowly.

Take a small cup of hot water and dissolve the baking soda. Then add this to the batter along with salt.

Start adding the flour, nuts and chocolate chips. Mix together well. Then start spooning large clumps on top of ungreased pans.

Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes in the oven or until you notice the edges are nicely browned.

19

Oct

As far as comfort food goes, there’s nothing better than a freshly cooked lasagna. Making one is pretty easy for some people but not every recipe would taste as good as your first ever slice. Do you remember that time? I do because my Mom fed me the world’s best lasagna. You see, she was always a good cook – the best one I’ve known.

Her stories while in the kitchen were great and they always made me hungry. She made me lick off cookie dough from a spoon or finish off a carton of milk she’s used on her dishes. Everything I know now is because of her. So, since she’s coming over to visit, it’s my turn to impress her by making my own version of her lasagna.

Yes, this is the first lasagna I’ve made that my mother would taste. And I am scared she wouldn’t like it. Hers was the like the gold standard of lasagna (only because I’m the daughter and I’m pretty biased). There’s a bit of pressure for me to perform as well as she does. I’ll just have to wait and see.

I accept the fact that I might not be able to make the world’s best. With my Mom’s taste, I could only try. So I would never expect for her to love my version. A proper nod would be enough to make me do summersaults. In case you’d want to follow in on my footsteps, make the time because this lasagna will take everything you’ve got. I promise it’ll be worth it in the end.

Next, simmer for about an hour and a half, covered but stir constantly.

Lightly salt a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in for about 8-10 minutes.

When noodles are done, drain and rinse with cold water. In a separate mixing bowl, combine ricotta with the eggs, remaining parsley and half a teaspoon salt.

Then preheat the oven to 375°F or about 190°C.

Now it’s time to assemble the lasagna. Spread 1 and a half cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Lay down the noodles lengthwise over the meat sauce and spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Take 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese slices.

Next, spoon 1 and ½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella and then sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat this layer after layer and then finish off with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

When done, cover this with foil but not without spraying with cooking spray to make sure the foil doesn’t touch the cheese.

Take this to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil after that and then bake for another 25 minutes longer. When done, let it cool for 15 minutes before serving. Best served warm.

19

Oct

I’d have to be very honest here; I do go out at night for some wine with some of my best girlfriends. But after drinking a bottle of Merlot and you’re about ready to get home, my hunger pangs start to happen. So I would come home and immediately head to the fridge to look for left overs. When you see all desserts and none of the salty food I’ve been craving, the planning begins. Either I’d call for Chinese food to get delivered or make it myself.

I settled for the latter because I had just come home and is too tired to go out and buy the ingredients I needed. On days when you need Chinese food, this dish is the perfect substitute. I used beef on this one but can be easily substituted for chicken if you desire. On broccoli, beef just works so well. And it’s pretty quick to make by stir frying everything.

The best thing about it is the ingredients aren’t expensive so you can source it out easily from your nearest supermarket. Or, you can buy them ahead and store until you need to cook Chinese dishes anytime of the day. My taste buds are about ready now, so I’m not going waste any more time. Cooking this restaurant style will mean satisfying a craving before heading to bed. I’d call that a pretty good deal.

Ingredients

1/3 cup oyster sauce

2 teaspoons Asian (toasted) sesame oil

1/3 cup sherry

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

3/4 pound beef round steak, cut into 1/8-inch thick strips

3 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more if needed

1 thin slice of fresh ginger root

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed

1 pound broccoli, cut into florets

Directions

Begin by preparing the sauce. Mix together the oyster sauce, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Stir this mixture until the sugar is dissolved.

In a shallow bowl, place the stake pieces and pour over the oyster sauce mixture on the meat. Coat every part of the meat well. Place this inside the refrigerator and let this marinate for 30 minutes.

Take your wok or large skillet and heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat. First, add the ginger and the garlic.

Stir and let this sizzle on the hot oil for about a minute. This will flavor the oil. Then take out the ginger and garlic and discard. Next stir in the broccoli and toss around until it turns bright green or until they are tender. It takes about 5 to 7 minutes.

Remove the broccoli and set aside. Add a little oil into the wok if desired and then pour the beef mixture. Toss around until the sauce forms a deep glaze around the beef. Check if the meat is no longer pink. This takes about 5 minutes.

Bring back the broccoli to the wok and stir this well. Make sure the meat and broccoli are heated through. This will be done in 3 minutes. Best served warm.

19

Oct

Today is one of the worst days any Mom could imagine. It’s the day when one kid tries to outwit the other over what’s good for dinner. The argument started with a debate over bacon being only a breakfast meal and never good for dinner. Kids argue about stuff all the time so I usually laugh it off. But the older one was trying to make things worse.

When the tears start falling, I jump in and take over. It was such a silly fight. One wanted chicken for dinner and the other one wanted bacon. I resolved the matter with a compromise – we can have both for dinner because I had just the perfect recipe for that. With that, I think I might have solved one of the hardest fights a sibling would have over who gets more attention.

As a parent, we don’t realize how our solutions can impact our kids. I saw the youngest one rush off to embrace her sister and all was well with the world again. Now, I can pat myself on the back for thinking of a solution that would end food debates in the future. All I did was mix two ingredients together to make one delightful meal – all in a day’s work for a Mom.

Ingredients

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons minced shallot

1 clove garlic, minced

4 thick slices of applewood smoked bacon

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Description

Start by preheating the oven to 375°F. Then prepare an 8 x 8 inch baking dish and spray on the cooking spray.

Take your cleaned chicken breast pieces and lay them on the table. Take a sharp knife and cut a slit into the thick back side of each chicken breast. Make about a 2 inch long cut and 1 and 12 inch deep.

In a separate mixing bowl, mash up the Gorgonzola cheese, parsley, shallot and garlic. Then finish off by seasoning with salt and black pepper.

Separate half of this filling and start stuffing each chicken breast Next, wrap 2 slices of bacon around each breast to cover the filling. Secure this with a toothpick.

Arrange the chicken breasts on the baking dish properly.

Take the baking dish into the oven and bake until you see the bacon turns brown. The chicken should also be pale and no longer pink inside. That’s about 35 minutes.

Insert a thermometer into the center of the meat and check to see if it reads 165°F.

You can also prepare some vegetables and bake it with this chicken. If not, red bell peppers and green beans are good with this recipe. Best served warm.

19

Oct

Perhaps I may have given off the impression that I hated making desserts that needed baking. That’s not what I was aiming for at all. In all honestly, I do prefer no-bake sweets and desserts better. If I did go through the trouble of baking some desserts, there are really special people I wanted to please that day.

Today is one of those special occasions. I have just finished off the last slice of this delicious cake. There are many variations of this recipe and rarely do I find something worth doing again and again. In fact, this cake is so delectable that I always give them out as birthday cakes to many of my adult friends and family.

Making this will require an assistant because it’s more fun that way. Gather up your kids when you’re in the process of whipping up the frosting so that they can lick off the extras on the bowl or spatula. I tell you, baking would be less tedious this way.

Ingredients

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

Description

Prepare the oven and preheat to 350 °F or about 175°C. Next, grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Dust it with flour and cover each of the bottoms with wax paper.

Combine 2 cups of sugar, flour, cocoa and baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix these dry ingredients well. Then add all the wet ingredients: eggs, milk, oil and a tablespoon of vanilla and beat until well blended. Pour this batter into the greased pans.

Place them in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Another way to test is to thrust a toothpick in the middle of the cake and take it out. When it comes out clean, the cake is done. Let cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack and then remove from the pan.

Prepare your cherries by draining the syrup and reserving half a cup of this juice. Then in a separate bowl, combine the juice, the cherries, cornstarch and a cup of sugar. Next, pour this over a 2-quart saucepan. Allow to cook over low heat until thickened. Make sure you’re stirring constantly. Then add a teaspoon of vanilla and set aside. Cool this before using.

Take out a hand mixer. In a bowl, combine whipping cream and confectioner’s sugar with the mixer until you see stiff forms appearing.

It’s time to slice a layer of the cake with a long serrated knife. Be careful in doing this because you can’t break off any of the cake layers. Break apart one sliced layer into crumbs and set aside. Reserve 1 and ½ cups of frosting for decorating the cake and set aside. To assemble the cake, start by laying down a base – a sliced cake at the bottom. Spread frosting and top with cherry sauce. And then add another sliced layer and repeat the frosting and cherry sauce mix. On the last layer, use up all of the remaining frosting in order to include the sides of the cake. Pat on some of the crushed crumbs on the side. Spoon the rest of the cherry sauce in a pastry bag and start decorating the top of the cake as you wish. Be generous about frosting the top and the sides of the cake and finish off with the last of the cherry topping. Best served chilled.

19

Oct

I wake up earlier than everyone else in mornings because I have to prepare big breakfast meals for the family. I roll out of bed, still groggy and utterly desperate for coffee. Then I decide to warm up yesterday’s banana muffins, poured the fresh batch of coffee and then I’m ready to go to work.

Nothing wakes me up than the site of delicious pick-me-ups like baked goods hot from the microwave. I made these banana muffins yesterday for a bake sale. I bought home some of the extras so I could enjoy my labor of love. Initially, I wanted to secretly stash them away for myself but then again my kids love baked sweets as much as I do.

I heat up the muffins so the kitchen would smell like them when the family comes in to eat. It’s not a bad way to start your mornings. They’re dessert energizers. I can tell you that.

Banana muffins are very light so they’re a perfect starter; a prelude to a full load of breakfast favorites. I start with coffee or tea with this muffin. And when I’m halfway full, I have some bacon and eggs. It’s not entirely bad to start an entire day this way.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Description

Start by preheating the oven to 375°F or about 190°C. And then lightly grease a 10-cup muffin tray or line them up with muffin paper.

Take a large bowl and then mix together 1 ½ cups flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Next, stir the banana mixture into the flour blends. Mix together into a batter. Spoon the batter into prepared muffin cups.

In another bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon of butter and then add this into the mixture until you see it turn into a coarse cornmeal. Next, sprinkle this topping over the muffins.

Place the batter into the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center of the muffin. If it comes out clean, they’re ready.

19

Oct

I remember my college days like they just happened yesterday. I recall all those tailgating parties my friends and I used to attend where food was always center of attention (more than the actual games). Today, I’m brought back to those wonderfully silly moments because of this traditional recipe of chicken wings.

Chicken wings are the staple of tailgating parties across the continental America without a doubt. I can’t imagine what bars, parties or drinking sessions would be like without having munched on chicken wings. What’s not to love about them, right? They’re spicy and nice and if they’re perfectly done, they give just enough kick to jumpstart your mouth.

What’s the purpose of having these chicken wings spiced like this? I personally believe that it’s more fun this way but I would absolutely agree if the only reason why hot sauce is added is to prepare your mouth for another big round of cold beer. Yes, I do think you can’t enjoy chicken wings without beer.

Forgive me but I grew up knowing this to be the only accepted method of consuming both beer and wings. It’s no fun without the other. They say that no good conversation ever started with eating salad, well, with the beer and wings combo, I’d have to agree.

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings, tips discarded

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 cup honey

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup hot sauce

sesame seeds

Description

Start by preheating the grill for medium – high heat. Lightly oil the grate in the process.

Thoroughly wash the wings and pat dry with paper towel. Use cayenne, salt and pepper to season the meat.

Cook the seasoned wings on the preheated grill; you can tell if it’s cooked through when the juices run clear. That should be about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the wings.

Brush the meat constantly with honey while cooking it. Pour half a cup into a container and use a small brush.

In a large bowl, add melted butter, the remaining honey, hot sauce and mix well.

Remove the wings from the grill and toss them into the bowl. Let the hot butter sauce coat all of the wings.

You can serve them as is or return to the grill for another minute so the sauce would set.

Garnish with sesame seeds and some dipping sauce. Best served warm.

19

Oct

This is a tried and tested recipe for baked ziti pasta that needs very little changes. It is pretty much perfect just the way it is and makes an ideal healthy mid week family meal. Despite all the rubbish about no carbs in your diet they are essential for providing energy to our bodies and I never feel the slightest bit guilty when making this meal and nor should you. Actually now that I think about it I did make one change to this recipe and that was to how I layered it. I placed the sauce on top of pasta and then I added the toppings. Be sure to stir the sauce through the pasta to make everything nice and consistent. When preparing your pan grease well or spray with a good non stick spray, you will glad you did when it comes time to do the dishes because it makes cleaning a breeze. This recipe makes plenty so if you don’t have a big pan use two smaller ones. One lady emailed me saying she was disappointed because I never mentioned that this dish needed to be covered when baking I am sorry I just assumed everyone knew that. So please everyone – bake this with a covering of aluminium foil or use a covered baking dish. This is an absolutely delicious savoury and creamy dish and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do whenever I make it.

Ingredients

1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce

6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Description

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.